


Stay

by FuckYeahChilton



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Bonding, Daryl x Jesus - Freeform, Desus - Freeform, M/M, darus - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-24
Updated: 2017-09-24
Packaged: 2019-01-04 20:23:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12175932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FuckYeahChilton/pseuds/FuckYeahChilton
Summary: In the middle of war, only one thing can keep Daryl from losing it...





	Stay

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little thingy that came to my mind so I wrote it down. =)

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

„I have to get outta here..“ Daryl grunted.

„It’s not safe out there on your own. Besides, I need you here.. I.. feel better when you’re here,” Rick said, but Daryl shook his head while he was walking his bike to the gate.

“I’ll be back.. I just.. I need to be somewhere else now..”

With that said, Daryl climbed on his bike and left Alexandria behind. He wasn’t thinking much about how exactly he had planned this night to turn out, he just had to be there.. He had to be with _him_.

This day, they had lost people again.. good people.. brave people… Daryl was so angry, he felt the need to destroy something, anything. He wanted to kill all saviors, one after another, with his bare hands. He wanted to look into their eyes when they died.. 

It scared him. He was scared that after the war or even by now, there would be nothing human left inside of him.

The gates of the Hilltop opened for him without hesitation. He hid his bike and walked straight to the trailer that kept him safe for long enough that it felt like coming home. From the outside, he could see flickering light inside and he assumed Paul was reading, while Maggie and Enid were already asleep. He was always reading until he finally fell asleep as well.

Daryl snuck inside and closed the door behind him. Enid was asleep on the couch while Maggie slept on the bed. Nothing had changed. Paul was on his sleeping bag on the floor, next to a candle that was about to die, with a book resting on his chest, eyes closed.

Seeing him, Daryl immediately calmed down a little but not enough. He laid down next to him, his eyes resting on his relaxed face. It wasn’t staying like that for long. Paul frowned and blinked. He never slept deep enough to miss a change like an intruder in the room but the moment he recognized Daryl, the frown vanished.

“Daryl… Everything okay?” he asked sleepily and put the book aside. It was his favorite. Daryl could tell by the shabby look and the many times he had seen Paul reading in it.

“No.. Nothing is okay..”

“What happened?”

Daryl was quiet for a while and decided to ignore the question. “Can I just stay here.. and look at you?” he asked instead.

“What?” Paul whispered and locked eyes with Daryl.

“Can I?”

Paul bit his lower lip for a moment, then he nodded. “Sure..”

Daryl exhaled through his nose and relaxed, feeling the anger fade the longer he was getting lost in the beautiful eyes of this guy he wanted to hate so much but the more he tried, the more it turned into the opposite. He reached out to take a strand of Paul’s hair and started twirling it between his fingers.  
“What happened, Daryl?” Paul asked again, his voice low to not wake up the girls.

Daryl shrugged. “Same as always.. fighting, losing people.. Thought I was losing it so I came here..”

Paul shifted his arm so that his fingers brushed Daryl’s hand lightly and let his hand rest next to Daryl’s. He smiled.

“How can you do that?” Daryl asked and Paul raised an eyebrow.

“How can you still smile..”

“You’re here.. I like having you here so.. that’s a reason to smile.” Paul explained and Daryl huffed softly.

“You’re the weirdest guy I ever met.”

“I try to take that as a compliment.” Paul said through a soft chuckle.

“Sorry… I ain’t good at this.. talkin’ and.. bonding and stuff..”

“Me neither. For the bonding part… I actually really suck at that part.” Paul confessed and dropped his gaze.

“You rather be alone?”

“No.. but it’s easier.”

A smile flashed over Daryl’s lips. “I get that.”

“Still, you’re here..”

“Still me being here made you smile.”

There was a moment of silence between them, then Paul laid his hand on Daryl’s wrist and squeezed it a little, still not able to look at him. Daryl let go of his hair and moved his hand into Paul’s. Their fingers laced together automatically and Paul’s eyes found Daryl’s again. He was still calm, his eyes soft and warm..

“I don’t know if I’m ready for this..” Paul whispered.

“Me neither.. But you got anythin’ to lose around here, cause I ain’t..”

“Stay..” Paul said and Daryl tilted his head a little.

“I want you here.. I need you here..” Paul clarified and Daryl started biting his lower lip.

“Rick needs me over there..”

“And I need you here. I’d feel better having you around here.. Please? I’ll only ask once.”

Daryl was lost in thoughts for a moment, then he nodded.

“I’ll stay. Maybe not tomorrow..but when the war is over and we’re still here, I’ll stay.”

Paul smiled and pulled Daryl’s hand closer to his face to snuggle his cheek against it and Daryl shivered. It was the first time he felt his soft beard against his skin and that little touch alone made him feel like dozens of little firecrackers were exploding in his stomach.

Daryl knew it from the very beginning. He knew this fucker who called himself Jesus was special.  
He knew if he let him into his life, he would become someone special to him and here he was, in the middle of an ongoing war and the only thing that kept him sane was the thought of being with Paul some day.

Paul closed his eyes, his face slowly relaxed and his breathing changed. Though he was asleep already, he still had a little smile on his lips.  
Daryl stayed awake and kept looking at him, slowly realizing, that this was it.

This was what he was fighting for.

 

 

 

***

 

 

 


End file.
